IT WAS the hottest October 27 in 117 years. And visitors to Bournemouth on Thursday were basking in higher temperatures than Miami.

Bathers took to the sea and sun-worshippers returned to the beaches as Dorset experienced late Autumn sunshine and blue skies.

With less than nine weeks to go until Christmas members of the public could be forgiven for thinking it was more like June.

Families took to the beaches and the countryside to take advantage of the half-term treat. Just days ago it looked as if the school holiday would be a washout with torrential rain and flooding on Monday.

Temperatures hit 20 degrees C across Dorset yesterday afternoon with Miami only managing 19. Southern Spain reached a feeble 18 with Lisbon and Madrid just about managing to match Bournemouth.

Mark Smith, head of Bournemouth tourism, said: "Bournemouth is usually lucky in getting the best of the British weather, whatever the time of year, and we are particularly lucky that today's good weather falls in half-term.

"Hopefully this will give visitors and residents, especially those with children, the opportunity to get out and enjoy the area."

But those who didn't take advantage yesterday may have left it too late - things are now speedily returning to the sort of weather we expect at this time of year.

Rain is the order of the day for today and for much of the weekend but perhaps that means we can now turn our attention to more autumnal things like next week's Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes celebrations.

And it may help us to prepare for winter. Long-term forecasts predict this winter will be the coldest since 1963, bringing ice and snow to all parts of Britain.

First published: October 28